Responding to opportunities

Telework can deliver many benefits for organisations but some organisations still require a specific or immediate reason before they start an implementation process. Learning to recognise such opportunities is important. Such opportunities could include:

• Changes in the office lease arrangements—perhaps a smaller office could be considered;
• Traffic disruptions, such as major road works, events that will cause disruption and strikes could all make it easier to trial a telework solution;
• Pandemic planning frequently includes discussion about how workers can keep themselves safe and avoid contact with possibly infected co-workers. Home offices could be safer options;
• Power disruptions that affect large areas of the central business district can provide ideal opportunities to test telework arrangements;
• Client demands for more personal contact or faster responses to their requirements can make telework a very attractive option in some companies;
• Business restructures have been used by some as an opportunity to reconsider how teams are organised and where workers are located. Building a discussion of telework into this process can be useful;
• Cost-cutting exercises are a chance to start a telework trial: many of the benefits of telework directly improve the company’s bottom line;
• The loss of key staff due to their requirement for more flexibility can cost a company a great deal of money, particularly for senior staff. These costs could be much greater than those associated with implementing a telework initiative; and
• The need to support key individuals who cannot get to the office (through injury or critical dependent care, for example) can be a useful chance to promote telework’s benefits.

This is only a partial list of the opportunities that could exist. Where the benefits telework offers are not enough on their own, any of these opportunities could provide a direct reason for starting a telework initiative. Keep your eyes open for others in your setting.